Mung beans are a nutritional powerhouse. These are green legumes which are a good source of protein and rich in dietary fibre. It is native to India and grown in the United States. The word mung bean comes from the Hindi word मूंग moong derived from the Sanskrit word Mudga.

In addition to being a good source of protein and fibre, it is also low in cholesterol, low in GI Index, low in sodium and is rich in minerals (calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper and manganese) and also very rich in vitamins A, B, C & K. A cup of cooked mung beans contains 15.4 gms of dietary fibre. They are easily digestible, known to reduce inflammation, useful in all ailments including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. They are used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is ideal food source of vegan and vegetarians.

Muganchi Oosali is a traditional Goan dish which my mom often prepared for me and my brother when we were kids, usually during tea time. I was reminded of this dish during my recent visit to Goa. It is usually prepared during holy fasts and also served to kids and elderly/invalids to boost their immune system.

My mom never soaked her mung beans but soaking enhances the nutritional qualities of the beans.

Muganchi Oosali (Serves 2) – Recipe courtesy : My mom

1/2 cup mung beans, soaked

1- 1 1/4 cup water

3 tbspns jaggery* (see notes)

1/4 cup grated fresh coconut

1/4 tsp cardamom

1 tsp ghee

pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Soak the mung beans in warm water for at least 8-10 hrs. Drain the water and give it a good rinse.

Pressure cook the beans for at least 3 whistles on medium heat or till they are cooked thoroughly. Switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to release.

Once the pressure is released, add jaggery and coconut and cook till the jaggery melts. Adjust the sweetness according to your taste. Add salt, cardamom and ghee and let it cook for another minute and then switch off the flame.

You can add chopped nuts sauteed in a little ghee at the end, if needed. But this is purely optional.

Serve piping hot.

Notes:

Jaggery, a healthy alternative to refined sugar is unrefined sugar obtained from raw, concentrated sugar cane juice. It is readily available in South Asian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, you could substitute it with organic coconut sugar.